An adventure film festival. The Big O Film Show features some of the best video shorts either produced by Alaskans or filmed in Alaska. A vetted collection of submissions will be shown on Oct. 6-7, and the videos will be judged by the viewing audience as well as by a celebrity panel of judges. Videographers have the opportunity to win thousands in cash and prizes, and possibly carry home the Viewer’s Choice trophy for the 2012 Big O Film Show. For submission guidelines, please browse www.oxygenandoctane.com. Selected movies from Warren Miller, CPG, H2O Guides, Iron Dog and more will also be shown at the film fest.

WHEN

Videos will be shown throughout the entire three-day Oxygen & Octane Expo, Oct. 5-7, with the film fest videos being aired on Saturday, Oct. 6. Judging - and voting by the audience - will immediately follow the videos. An encore presentation of the winners will air on Sunday, Oct. 7. All times are TBA, but please browse www.oxygenandoctane.com for details, or check us out on Facebook for the latest updates.

WHERE

Dena’ina Center in downtown Anchorage.

HOW

Download the rules and entry forms at www.oxygenandoctane.com, submit your video adventure short by the Sept. 28 deadline and let folks know about the film fest so they will vote for your entry.

COST

The film fest is free and open to the public, and there is no cost to submit a video for the fest. Please see rules and details at www.oxygenandoctane.com, under the Film Fest tab.

CONTACT

For more information on the film fest, please browse www.oxygenandoctane.com, www.coast-magazine.com or www.RideAlaska.com. Or contact Josh at JGS Concepts: josh@jgsconcepts.com.

ANCHORAGE’S PREMIER winter sports and recreation show, the Oxygen & Octane Expo, will make a fifth appearance on Oct. 5-7 at the Dena’ina Center in downtown Anchorage. The “Big O” has become a fixture in the expo arena, and plans are in store to make 2012 the biggest and best event to date.

Oxygen & Octane boasts the largest showroom of all things related to the enjoyment of Alaska’s longest (and, some would argue, most fun) season. The expo incorporates oxygen-related winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding and dog sledding, with octane-induced hobbies such as snowmachining and racing. For three days in October the Dena’ina Center is packed with sports equipment dealers, club representatives, lodge owners and service providers who are all offering some of the best deals on skis, active outerwear, helmets and goggles, lodging and even season passes to local ski areas.

“Alyeska Resort, Hilltop and Arctic Valley, as well as a selection of heli-skiing operators, will all have early-bird deals on season passes and ski and snowboard trip packages,” said John Woodbury, expo founder. “Skiing was epic last winter, and the ski areas and heli-guides were having record seasons. You know you are going to ski or board this season, so why not take advantage of the Big O show deals? Your powder smile may just grow a little bit wider knowing you are skiing on the cheaps.”

Similarly, the major snowmachine manufacturers are represented and standing by to finalize orders for new machines right there in the expo. PFD funds hit bank accounts just one day before the expo opens, and snowmachine staff is ready to offer great deals for top-of-the-line machines. Some dealers have been known to sell 10 or more sleds in a single day because there’s truly no better place or time to buy. Also standing by are lending institutions who are poised to offer on-site financing so buyers can truly one-stop shop at the Big O.

“All the dealers in the Expo offer up some of the best deals all season,” said Woodbury. “Combine the ease of on-site financing with both the local and national promotions, and you quickly run out of excuses not to buy a new sled this year.

“And hey, if the upcoming winter is going to be anything like last winter, you really, really do not want to be that rider digging out the old short-track Rupp after every powder turn,” he said. “Snowmachine manufacturers are offering solid early season promos designed to make it as easy and affordable as possible to upgrade your sled this season,” Woodbury said.

For those who simply want something fun to do with the family on the weekend, Big O should be at the top of those plans. The expo has always been a free, public event. There’s no cover charge to browse all the winter sports-related displays. Watching the daily stage performances, listening to live music and participating in numerous drawings is also free. Lucky guests will also walk away with free ski passes, winter get-a-ways to lodges and resorts, new snowboards and tons of other prizes. There are also snowmachine and gear raffles at the Expo that benefit clubs and charities.

“We’ve given away tens of thousands of dollars worth of door prizes at the Big O shows, and this year we already have a bumper crop of goodies both vendors and expo-goers will win,” said Woodbury. “It’s ridiculously easy to win. Some contest are based on the whim of the expo deejay, some will be focused on our web and Facebook pages, and some will be enter-to-win offers or doled out during our live radio remotes. The best way to win is to be at the expo, visit the vendor booths and check out their wares – and their contests.”

Multiple clubs and associations raffle snowmachines. The funds raised support club activities, and a couple of lucky expo-goers could be the winners. Visit the Anchorage Snowmobile Club and Alaska Motor Mushers Club booths to see what make and model they’re offering this year.

Kids love the climbing wall, and typically Anchorage Parks and Recreation makes an appearance with games and activities. The sled dog puppies are always a huge hit, and kids can’t seem to get enough of “riding” on the cool, new ATVs, snowmachines and side-by-sides. They love to pretend while mom and dad go over the machine’s specs and sale price.

For a little down time, Oxygen & Octane includes a beer garden, perfectly situated in front of the stage. And new for 2012 is a winter sports film festival that will showcase local and national adventure shorts.

“The Big O Film Show focuses on locally filmed or locally produced video shorts, and this year we up the ante with cash awards as well as other prizes,” Woodbury said. “ We already have a few top-notch entries, so I expect the judges will have some tough decisions ahead of them. We are still accepting entries, and the folks at JGS Concepts will be running the film fest this year, while the judges and Adventure Media staff will vet the entries and make selections for the show. The public is also encouraged to vote for the Viewer’s Choice award, and expect some surprise guests at the film show. Audience members and voters will also have a chance to win some fun prizes as well.”